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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · squash · bound · club · branch · mouse · bay · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cap — of ice
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. club — a group
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. club — for golf
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cap — a lid

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com